10: How Can We Prepare | Biblestudy4Starters Chapters

End Times: Great Tribulation

Chapter 10: How Can We Prepare for Persecution and Tribulation according to Corrie ten Boom

Corrie ten Boom's Advice

Recommended Bible Verses

Additional Important Pointers

Some of Corrie ten Boom's Videos

How Can We Prepare for Persecution?

Abstract

How can we prepare?

The question is how can we prepare for persecution and tribulation? Corrie ten Boom gives the following three (3) recommendations:

Number 1: Memorize as many Scripture verses as you can.

Number 2: Develop a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Number 3: Be filled with the Holy Ghost.

Regarding the first advice we add: You can also meditate on specific Bible verses having to do with this topic, asking questions and pondering on the meaning of that Scripture.

About the second advice: Daily seek for, repent, stay, walk and live in God's Presence, study the Scriptures and do His will.

The third advice entails: Asking the Holy Spirit to fill us to overflowing with His fruit of His character and personality that is with His Agape love, shalom, joy, goodness, faithfulness and persevering faith, humbleness of mind, gentleness, patience and self control.

In addition, we seek holiness and sanctification, a forgiving heart and obedience through the fear of the Lord, the spirit of wisdom and revelation, the eyes of our understanding enlightened, the spirit of discernment to discern evil spirits, deception(s) and above all to discern Holy Spirit's voice.

Other important pointers are: fast regularly, know that Yeshua’s perfect agape love casts out all fear, know that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, remember that God is faithful and true to grant us His grace to persevere each and every moment of our life, and in the end nothing else matters but loving God and our neighbor, and having His Presence in our lives.

Corrie ten Boom: How Can We Prepare?

About Corrie ten Boom

Corrie ten Boom and her sister lived at their parents' home in Haarlem, the Netherlands. When the War broke out, their home became a secret place where many Jews could hide from the Nazis.
After some time, her shelter was discovered and they were all arrested, but in the concentration camp God used Corrie as an instrument to share the Gospel to the others in their barrack, as she still had her Holy Bible with her. Due to the fact that her barrack had so many fleas the German guards never came in to check the space. She could therefore comfort the other prisoners out of God's Word.
Nonetheless, all of them had to go through awful things, but she and her sister kept praying and forgiving the Nazis.
Once out of the concentration camp, Corrie traveled the world to share about her experience and the importance of forgiving and loving your enemies, but most importantly, Corrie ten Boom warned Christians to prepare for the Tribulation.

The following text within quotation marks are taken from Corrie ten Boom's video slides found at the end of this Chapter:

"There are some among us teaching there will be no tribulation, that the Christians will be able to escape all this. These are the false teachers that Jesus was warning us to expect in the latter days.", quotation from Corrie ten Boom.

Comments: Some may indeed be false teachers, but actually this might also be ignorance and/or teachings (doctrines) handed over to them by their teachers (this was also the case for us until we started to question the teaching considering all the persecutions and martyrdom taking place in many countries nowadays, which triggered us to start this in depth study on what the Prophets and Apostles said and what ultimately Jesus says). Other teachers might simply experience cognitive dissonance, or be deceived, while others are afraid to shock the congregation. In the end, it is better to speak the truth in line with our conscience and hear Jesus say, "Well done" than to only tell half truths just to keep the flock of believers satisfied and asleep. "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables." [2 Timothy 4:3-4]
The latter should not be the case, as we would not want to be disobedient to Christ, our Lord.

Let us pray that we be open to always hear and long for the truth and nothing but the truth. <End of Comment>

We continue with Corrie's words, "In China, the Christians were told, "Don't worry, before the tribulation comes you will be translated - raptured." Then came a terrible persecution. Millions of Christians were tortured to death."

"Later I heard a Bishop from China say, sadly, "We have failed. We should have made the people strong for persecution, rather than telling them Jesus would come first. Tell the people how to be strong in times of persecution, how to stand when the tribulation comes, - to stand and not faint."

Corrie continues, "I feel I have a divine mandate to go and tell the people of this world that it is possible to be strong in the Lord Jesus Christ. We are in training for the tribulation, but more than sixty percent of the Body of Christ across the world has already entered into the tribulation. There is no way to escape it. We are next."

"When I was in the concentration camp ... a Bible verse that I had committed to memory gave me great hope and joy. I found myself saying, "Hallelujah! Because I am suffering, Jesus is glorified!"

<Comment: verse 13 also added by us> "but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.

If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified." [1 Peter 4:13,14]

"Now every time I read a good Bible text I think, "Hey, I can use that in the time of tribulation." Then I write it down and learn it by heart."

Corrie ten Boom's Advice

Ten Boom asks the question, "How can we get ready for the persecution?", she then also answers the question as follows:

#1: Memorize as many Scripture verses as you can.

#2: Develop a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

#3: Be filled with the Holy Ghost.

End of Corrie ten Boom's text.

What follows are some suggested Bible verses as food for thought in the context of the 3 recommendations given by Corrie ten Boom. Of course, feel free to choose your own Scriptures to memorize and/or contemplate on.

Recommended Bible Verses

#1: Memorize as many Scripture verses as you can

Matthew 10:28

"And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”

Acts 5:29
“But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: “We ought to obey God rather than men."

Romans 8:35-39
"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

These are powerful Bible verses to meditate on.

#2: Develop a personal relationship with Jesus Christ

Matthew 13:8,21

"But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty …

yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles."

The roots are not often seen, but without strong roots deep in the ground the water of life cannot be absorbed.
Similarly, without our Silent Time in the Presence of our Savior and Lord, we have no root. It is therefore crucial to have our quiet time alone with Jesus our Savior and Holy Spirit our Guide.
During this time God can speak to us out of His Word, the Holy Bible, while we pray, share our love for Him, and have fellowship with our Savior Jesus; it is all about being in His Presence.
Developing this personal relationship with our Jesus entails: daily seeking, repenting, staying, walking and living in and for His Presence, studying the Scriptures and doing His will.
Recall the beautiful songs, "Your Presence is heaven to me" and also "I just want to be where You are, dwelling daily in Your Presence."

Corrie ten Boom once explained:
Just like our earthly father would only give his little child the ticket when entering the train, so rest assured once that crucial moment arrives, our heavenly Father is more than willing and will most certainly grant us His grace, courage and strength to persevere at the moment of decision.
But, don’t forget to thank Him in faith for His grace.

#3: Be filled with the Holy Ghost

Galatians 5:22-23

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law."

We ask our heavenly Father to allow Holy Spirit to fill us with His fruit that is with His character and personality, as to walk in Agape (Divine) love and compassion for others: His love, shalom, joy, goodness, faithfulness and persevering faith, humbleness of mind, gentleness, patience and self control.
In addition, we also need His holiness and sanctification, and to grant us a forgiving heart to even forgive our enemies, the fear of the Lord to always obey God, the spirit of wisdom and revelation, to enlighten the eyes of our understanding, His spirit of discernment to discern the enemy's deception(s), and above all to discern Holy Spirit's voice.

1 Corinthians 14:1-5;14-15;18-19

"Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy. For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries. But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men. He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church. I wish you all spoke with tongues, but even more that you prophesied; for he who prophesies is greater than he who speaks with tongues, unless indeed he interprets, that the church may receive edification.

For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful. What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding.

I thank my God I speak with tongues more than you all; yet in the church I would rather speak five words with my understanding, that I may teach others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue."

Apart from the need to have Holy Spirit's character, we also thank our Lord Jesus for baptizing us with His Holy Spirit filling us till overflowing, so we can pray and speak His supernatural language in other words, unknown tongues.
Apostle Paul knew how important praying and speaking in unknown tongues are, "I thank God that I speak in (unknown) tongues more than all of you", "praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints". [1 Corinthians 14:18, AMP; Ephesians 6:18]
Why? To enable us to speak to God, to strengthen and build our faith -"But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life [Jude 20-21]-,

to speak mysteries -which our spiritual enemies cannot understand- to pray the perfect prayer directed by the Holy Spirit, as we do not always know the will of God, and neither know what God wants us to pray for or how to pray in many circumstances, not knowing exactly what the root cause is of for example the situation or disease. "Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God." [Romans 8:26-27]

To experience God's Presence, to see God's glory come down, and to see the miraculous, speaking and praying in tongues is essential.

1 John 5:15

“And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.”

Matthew 7:9-11

“Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!"

Considering the above Scriptures and the promise given in James 1:17 that a perfect gift can only come from our loving heavenly Father, "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.", we can be certain that the Holy Spirit is The Most Perfect Gift that we can ever receive.
Hence, as we ask to receive the Holy Ghost and His unknown tongues, we can be sure that God is more than willing to grant us our request.

Acts 2:4

"And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance."

It is you who speak in unknown tongues prompted and inspired by the Holy Spirit that is, you take the first step, after asking and thanking God for granting you other tongues.
Once we ask for this gift, we can be sure that Holy Spirit will bless us with His unknown tongues, as God cannot lie.
We inhale thanking the Holy Spirit, as He overflows us with His Spirit, and we exhale in faith uttering the sounds of unknown words -His supernatural language- that He inspires us to speak.
Our heavenly Father is trustworthy, and the more we speak and pray in other tongues, the more tongues He will share with us.

Additional Important Pointers

Seek, repent, abide, walk and live in God's Presence, always praying and listening to His voice -primarily through His Word- to obey

This one is most important of all: walking in the light and living in an intimate fellowship in the Holy Presence of our heavenly Father, our Lord Jesus and our Holy Spirit.
Confessing and breaking with sin as soon as our conscience has alerted us of any barrier between us and God.

Other Tips

Study the Scriptures to understand what the Holy Spirit is saying, so we can do His will.
Fast regularly to strengthen our spirit. Fasting is another very important discipline in our Christian life to experience His Holy Presence and obtain breakthroughs as prophet Isaiah declared in Isaiah 58:6-10, “Is this not the fast that I have chosen:
to loosen the bonds of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, to let the oppressed go free, and that you break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out; when you see the naked, that you cover him, and not hide yourself from your own flesh?
Then your light shall break forth like the morning, your healing shall spring forth speedily, and your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’
If you take away the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, if you extend your soul to the hungry and satisfy the afflicted soul, then your light shall dawn in the darkness, and your darkness shall be as the noonday.”
Yeshua’s perfect agape love casts out all fear. [I John 4:18]
Know that our body is the temple of the Holy Ghost [1 Corinthians 6:19], therefore live holy knowing that our old self is crucified and buried with Christ and that we are now risen to a new and holy life through our water baptism.
Realize God is faithful and true to grant us His grace to persevere each and every moment of our life.

In The End Nothing Else Matters But ...

Although salvation of souls, healing miracles, deliverance and creative miracles are beautiful, we must realize that THE most important thing is and will always be to have, keep and enjoy the Holy Presence of our Heavenly Father, our Lord Jesus and our Holy Spirit.
In the end nothing else matters but loving God and our neighbors, and having His Presence in our lives.

Some of Corrie ten Boom's videos

by Dennis V. Dare

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